This week’s Take Ten finds ZACK POWELL looking back to his porcine theatrical debut, dreaming of the premiere of Hamlet, and regretting an Othello-inspired faux pas. Catch him as the up-and-coming drag star in The Legend of Georgia McBride, at Round House Theatre through July 1.

1) What was the first show you ever saw, and what impact did it have?

Well, aside from my first grade production of The Three Little Pigs (I was the pig in the house of sticks) the first show I SAW was Into the Woods. My siblings and I were obsessed, and would sing along to the soundtrack all the time at home. I still know every word to the Witch’s Rap.

2) What was your first involvement in a theatrical production?

Again, The Three Little Pigs. BUT my first fully produced play was Noises Off, at El Dorado High School in Kansas. I laughed so hard I cried during almost every rehearsal. It was probably terrible, but it made me realize theatre had to be a part of my life, moving forward.

3) What’s your favorite play or musical, and why do you like it so much?

Ooh, I would say my favorite play is Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. The first half is heartbreaking and the second half hilarious. It’s so cathartic.

4) What’s the worst day job you ever took?

I worked at Express in the Pentagon City Mall for a day. ONE DAY. It was the worst experience of my life—so much trash talking about customers!

5) What is your most embarrassing moment in the theatre?

I was Lodovico in Othello at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and was supposed to bring on a scroll for Othello, which he then used to slap Desdemona. It was really my one job in the show. One day, I went on without the letter. Upon realizing my mistake, I said “Excuse me.” walked off stage leaving everyone else in silence, and came back on with the scroll saying, “This just arrived for you, my lord.”

Honestly, what I’m doing right now. I’d also love to work on some Odets: Ralph in Awake and Sing or Joe in Golden Boy.

9) If you could travel back in time, what famous production or performance would you choose to see?

I would see the first performance of Hamlet at the Globe. I’d be curious to see if it’s at all like how we imagine it to be.

10) What advice would you give to an 8-year-old smitten by theatre / for a graduating MFA student?

8-year-old: start taking voice and dance lessons now. Do everything and have fun. MFA: Audition for everything and be willing to make sacrifices the first few years to work. Rent a cheap place and cook at home. Never stop submitting.

ZACK POWELL is making his Round House debut with The Legend of Georgia McBride. Other D.C. credits include: The Last Night of Ballyhoo at Theater J, Shear Madness at the Kennedy Center, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Folger Theatre, Dunsinane at the Shakespeare Theatre Co., and Altar Boyz at 1st Stage. Regional credits include: King Lear, Twelfth Night, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, and Henry VI Pt. 2 at the American Shakespeare Center; The Tempest, King John, Twelfth Night, Measure for Measure, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, Taming of the Shrew, South Pacific, and King Henry IV Pt. 2 at the Utah Shakespeare Festival; Godspell, Cabaret, and The Cherry Orchard at Off-Square Theatre Co.; and Romeo and Juliet, The Winter’s Tale, Othello, and As You Like It at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Training: MFA at Illinois State University. Zack can next be seen as David Copperfield in the new Davy Copperfield musical at Imagination Stage.